1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to an assembly for supporting a storage drawer in a refrigerator.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the art of refrigerators, particularly household refrigerators, it is often desirable to have a temperature controlled storage drawer to enhance the preservation of different food items. The temperature controlled storage drawer generally takes the form of a slidable bin which is sealed to maintain a relatively high humidity level, while the bin is chilled to establish a desirable temperature within the bin. The temperature controlled storage drawer fits within a housing that is often supported by grooves or rails molded in a refrigerator compartment liner. In addition, some refrigerators include a pantry drawer located below the temperature controlled storage drawer. Therefore, the refrigerator compartment liner must include grooves or rails for two drawer housings. Since some refrigerators include pantry drawers and some do not, it is desirable to have a refrigerator compartment liner that may be used in either a refrigerator with or without the pantry drawer, while maintaining an appealing appearance in the liner.
Attempts have been made to attach a drawer to a shelf ladder located along a back portion of the refrigerator liner. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,217 discloses a drawer assembly which may be moved to various positions within the refrigerator cabinet. The drawer is slidably mounted to a pair of rails which are removably fixed to the underside of a cantilevered shelf. The shelf is supported by brackets which matingly engage a set of slots in a pair of spaced steel shelf ladders extending vertically along the back of the refrigerator compartment. Each of the brackets includes a hook and a centering guide for engaging the respective shelf ladder and supporting the shelf. One drawback of this assembly is that the drawer simply hangs below the shelf and does not include a housing. In addition, the bracket may be knocked out of position because there is no mechanism for locking the bracket and shelf in place.
There are also drawbacks associated with attaching a temperature controlled storage drawer frame to a shelf ladder with hooks normally used to support shelves. The hooks may disengage from the shelf ladder if a large amount of upward force is applied onto the hooks by the drawer frame. When loaded refrigerator storage drawers are opened and there is nothing on top of the drawer frame to counterbalance the load, the frame may rotate upwards in the rear, thereby disengaging the hooks from the shelf ladder. Based on the above, there exists a need for an enhanced refrigerator storage drawer mounting assembly which is versatile, aesthetically appealing, and effective in locking into place and preventing a drawer frame from tipping in the rear and falling out of the refrigerator cabinet, while allowing the storage drawer and frame to be readily moved to various levels within the refrigerator cabinet.
The present invention is directed to a mounting assembly for a refrigerator storage drawer, which may be separately, temperature and/or humidity controlled. In accordance with the invention, the mounting assembly includes a plastic mounting bracket having hooks for engaging slots in a refrigerator shelf ladder. The mounting bracket also includes a protrusion for engaging a second slot on the shelf ladder. This additional protrusion prevents the bracket from becoming disengaged, due to an upward force, when the temperature controlled storage drawer is in an open position. The storage drawer is positioned within a frame which is supported by outwardly extending legs of the mounting bracket. As a refrigerator typically includes two or three shelf ladders, the drawer is preferably supported by two or more mounting brackets.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.